The present invention relates to a device for electrically connecting a printing head of a dot printer and a drive circuit therefor, and more particularly, to an electrical connection device which is excellent in durability against bending attributable to reciprocal movement of the printing head.
A dot printer is conventionally known, which comprises a carriage movable along a platen, a printing head carried by the carriage and having a plurality of solenoids for driving needles, and a drive circuit for the printing head, electrically connected with the solenoids and fixed to a printer body. This printer operates to activate one or more solenoids by the drive circuit while the printing head is reciprocated along the platen, to thereby effect printing onto a printing sheet on the platen by means of the needles. Recently, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) has been generally employed for connecting the printing head and the drive circuit of the printer of this kind. In this case, one end portion of an electrical conductor of the FPC is soldered to a solenoid of the printing head and another end portion thereof is connected to an output terminal of the drive circuit through a connector, for instance. However, according to this device arrangement, there occurs fatigue failure of the FPC, which is subjected to bending during the movement of the printing head and has poor resistance to repetitive bending, after the movement of the printing head is repeated about two million times.
On the other hand, demands on improved reliability and durability of printers have been increased. To satisfy these demands, an electrical connection device of a printing head and a drive circuit therefor has been demanded, which can withstand about 10 million times of movement of the printing head.